Heal All

There's an evergreen mint in your lawn.

It's not very big.

It's not very flashy.

It has no odor.

But its name says it all:

Self-heal, heal all.

Prunella vulgaris

Dr James Duke got my interest forty years by claiming it had

"The highest levels of antioxidants of any green plant."

But I couldn't find much information on uses back then.

Mostly because I wasn't looking in the right place:

Chinese herbals.

Prunella vulgaris is one of the scentless mints I'm featuring in class 3 of

Magnificent Mints at Wisdom Feed, coming up this Monday.

All classes are recorded, so you can join us at any time

Link: https://wisdomfeed.thrivecart.com/magnificent-mints/

Here's a little of what I'm discovering.

The ripe seed heads are the medicinal part.

Best harvested when fully brown.

It's a powerhouse of help for women

Countering all breast distresses

And conquering vaginal infections.

> Self heal is in "Shen Nong's Classic of the Materia Medica" (AD 25-220); used for relieving sore throat, reducing fevers, accelerating wound healing, treatment of lscrofula, rat fistula, head sores, break concretions, scattered gall, qi stagnation, swollen feet, remove dampness to relieve paralysis."

> 1368–1644: Prunella is bitter, non-toxic. "The seedlings are washed, soaked to remove bitterness, stirred with oil and salt, and eaten as a pickle with a very delicious taste."

> In March 2010, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China included the dried fruit spikes of Prunella in the list of medicinal and food plants, stipulating dual-use only within a limited range and dose.

> In Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020) = "commonly used Chinese medicine." "Excellent quality and remarkable curative effect in clinical application."

> Clears the liver; "purges fire"

> Dissipates masses and detumescence; breast carbuncle, scrofula

> Prunella enters the liver meridian, with significant curative effect on breast diseases. Of the 44 Chinese medicine prescriptions for the treatment of hyperplasia of mammary glands, 22 contain Prunella.

< hyperplasia of mammary glands

< acute mastitis

< breast cancer

< painful breasts

< increases interleukin-6 (IL-6) level in breast cancer model mice

< inhibits the proliferation and promote the apoptosis of breast cancer cells

< used as an oral liquid

< Treat primary acute mastitis: Equipartitioned Taraxaci Herba with Prunella semen, taken by boiling with wine"

> Improves vision

< Counters red swelling/ pain of eyes, night pain of eyeballs, headache, vertigo

> Modern Chinese clinical practice: treatment of cancer, hypertension, diabetes, pelvic inflammation, breast hyperplasia, thyroid diseases, prostate diseases

> "Treats thyroid adenoma with satisfactory curative effect" x goiter

> In 17th century European traditional medicine, for relieving sore throat, reducing fever and accelerating wound healing

> In Turkish folk medicine for rheumatism, colds and heart disease

> In Japan, it is distributed all over the country; flowering fruit spikes as a diuretic

> In Iranian herbal medicine, to treat sore throat, bleeding, pneumonia, headaches, dysentery, hemorrhoids, diabetes and eye inflammation

> In vitro experiments: Prunella has inhibitory effects on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Penicillium sp., Aspergillus niger and Pseudomonas aeruginosa

> Bacterial vaginitis x aqueous extract of Prunella, in vivo. Prunella significantly resisted bacterial vaginitis in rats caused by mixed infection of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a dose-dependent manner.

> Extracts of Prunella obtained by three different methods had inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes, and the effect intensity was water extract > ethanol extract > ultrasonic extract

> Prunella has multiple effects such as hypnosis, choleretic, antidepressant, anti-renal calculi, improving osteoporosis, and alleviating memory impairment in rats caused by scopolamine.

Sit on the lawn and look for dark green, oval, opposite leaves.

You found self-heal.

It is in beauty.

It is a giveaway dance.

Breathing with the plants.

Hearts beating as one with the earth's heartbeat.

Surrounded by green blessings

Gratitude

Joy